Nine care home staff are isolating themselves with dementia patients

THAT’S caring! Nine care home staff isolate themselves inside with the dementia patients they look after… so they can carry on nursing them if coronavirus hits

  • Staff at Bridgedale House in Sheffield isolate themselves with dementia patients
  • Nine employees don’t return home after their shifts because of coronavirus fears
  • Workers include a cook, cleaner, manager and carers who use spare bedrooms
  • Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?

An outbreak of coronavirus among the vulnerable residents of a care home could have devastating consequences.

So nine compassionate staff at Bridgedale House home in Sheffield have taken the extraordinary step of isolating themselves with the 23 dementia patients they look after.

They have given up on going home after their shifts – because on their return they could be carrying the deadly contagion. 

The devoted nine – including a cook, cleaner, manager and carers – are staying in the residential home round the clock for at least two weeks. 

Care assistants Sarah Willis (left) and Maria Mantu with residents of Bridgedale House care home in Sheffield pictured on lockdown during the coronavirus outbreak

They are doing 12-hour shifts, seven days a week, using spare rooms for sleeping quarters.

It means they will rely on technology to keep in touch with loved ones.

One of the volunteers – who number a quarter of the total staff – is Sarah Willis. 

She said: ‘The risk of one of us picking it up and not knowing and taking it into the building was just too high and that’s why we made the decision to do this.

Pictured: Mandy Boyce, Sarah Willis, Sarah-Jane Clark, Katie Wright, Maria Mantu, Kirsty Scott, Lynsey Wright and Mark Beck from Bridgedale House in Sheffield

Pictured: Mandy Boyce, Sarah Willis, Sarah-Jane Clark, Katie Wright, Maria Mantu, Kirsty Scott, Lynsey Wright and Mark Beck from Bridgedale House in Sheffield

‘We are trying to keep it as calm as we can. Not all of the residents have the capacity to understand what is happening.’

Miss Willis celebrates her 24th birthday next Thursday and will be working as normal, although she is hoping family and friends will drop off cards and presents.

Her colleague Sarah-Jane Clark, 23, said: ‘We do the job because we care.’

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk